Dr. Torger Möller

The state of the research on grant application behaviour is that female academics submit fewer proposals than men. This study points out that it is methodologically challenging to draw this conclusion. We know a lot about applicants, but little about the pool of potential applicants as the underlying population. We use a random sample of academics as potential applicants to investigate the grant application activity of male and female researchers. The results show that when an appropriate benchmark is applied (in this case, controlling for academic status and research area), no significant gender differences in grant applications can be found.

Die Exzellenzinitiative war das am meisten beachtete Forschungsprogramm der letzten Jahrzehnte. Zwischen 2006 bis 2017 flossen 4,6 Milliarden Euro in die drei Förderlinien Graduiertenschulen, Exzellenzcluster und universitäre Zukunftskonzepte und somit in das deutsche Hochschulsystem. Die Programmziele waren ebenso hoch wie die Erwartungen, aber auch Befürchtungen. Doch was hat die Exzellenzinitiative am Ende bewirkt? Hat sie internationale Spitzenforschung hervorgebracht, den wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchs gefördert oder das deutsche Universitätssystem gespalten?

Grant selection and decision-making generally take place in panels. Therefore, the main focus of the project is to measure the level of gender bias at the panel level, and to explain the differences in gender bias using characteristics of the panels and of the (organizational) context of the panels. A second source of gender bias addressed in the project is the application process. The project also investigates the factors influencing the decision to apply for research grants, and the possible gender differences emerging from that. Finally, the question is addressed whether possible bias in grant allocation translates into gender bias in the subsequent academic career.